1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for treating sludges that result from the chemical treatment of spent sulfuric acid with lime, and in particular to a method for solubilizing the solids, reducing color, and total organic carbon (TOC) of the treated material to a predetermined level.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It has become an increasingly critical problem to provide a method for cleaning up impounded material (sludges) that does not require land space for burial. This problem is particularly acute with industries that chemically treat spent sulfuric acid with lime, resulting in calcium sulfate settling in lagoons or impoundments.
The conventional methods for these materials are: (1) dewatering, followed by landfilling of the semi-solids, or (2) vaulting in place using slurry walls and stabilization. Both of these conventional methods result in the contamination of land making such land useless for any future productive use. Both of these methods can create groundwater contamination at some future date that could require complete removal or re-vaulting.
There has heretofore not been found possible a method to clean-up sludges that is cost effective with the conventional methods. The prior art does not teach a system to solubilize the solids (calcium sulfate) and to treat the solubilized sludge with activated carbon to reduce TOC and color to a predetermined level, and to incinerate remaining undissolved solids simultaneously with regeneration of the spent carbon, and finally to incinerate the spent carbon with all other remaining solids.